Melissa Francis Runs for Philadelphia Common Pleas and Municipal Courts

Candidate: Melissa Francis

Court: Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court

Party: Democrat

Philadelphia Bar Association rating: Recommended

Ballot position: 15 (Common Pleas) 4 (Municipal Court)

The following has been edited lightly for length and style.

The Legal: Tell us about your background, where you went to law school, what firms you have practiced at, and areas of law you focus on.

Melissa Francis: I am a lifelong Philadelphian, born and raised. I was educated here and have lived in six different neighborhoods in the city as an adult. My mom was a teacher and my dad sold commercial hardware. We played stickball and touch football on our street as kids, and I have many of the same friends from my youth.

Archbishop Ryan High School for Girls, Class of 1988; University of Scranton, Class of 1992; Villanova University School of Law, Class of 1995; Judicial clerk to Judge George Koudelis of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, November 1996 to July 1998; Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office July 1998 to January 2018; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General January 2018 to February 2023.

I have focused on criminal prosecution for the bulk of my career. The first 15 years of my time in the Philadelphia DAO was as a trial attorney and supervisor in the trial division. The last five years was as chief of the dangerous drug offender unit, which was part of the investigations division.

The Legal: What is one major thing about your career experience that most qualifies you for this position, and why?

Francis: Experience. I have been in a courtroom nearly every day for the past 25 years. I understand how a courtroom should operate, and I will bring civility and equity to any courtroom over which I preside.

The Legal: What is the main reason Pennsylvania voters should pick you?

Francis: Philadelphia voters should vote for me because I have been a career public servant and wish to extend that career into the judiciary. I will be judge who works for people, not the opposite.

The Legal: What will be your approach to moving matters efficiently through the case management system?

Francis: Cases would move much more efficiently, and the current backlog could be reduced if judges would take the bench at 9 a.m. and work until the day’s docket is complete. This is not always the norm in Philadelphia, and that is an important, necessary change which will improve efficiency.

The Legal: What would you say to voters regarding your plans to ensure the equal administration of justice for all people?

Francis: I have spent 25 years ensuring there was equity in the plea offers I made, the way I tried my cases, and the investigations we undertook. I will bring that same sense of fairness and equity to the bench. A judge must set the tone in a courtroom for how people will treat each other. It is incumbent upon the judge to ensure that litigants, witnesses, court staff and others act with and are afforded civility.

The Legal: Where can voters go for more information about you?

Francis: Philadelphia Bar Association; Melissa Francis for Judge on Facebook